The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, devices, and systems that utilize a dental appliance binding structure during dental treatment. Dental treatments involve restorative and/or orthodontic procedures to improve the quality of life of a patient.
For example, restorative procedures may be designed to implant a dental prosthesis (e.g., a crown, bridge, inlay, onlay, veneer, etc.) intraorally in a patient. Orthodontic procedures may include repositioning misaligned teeth and changing bite configurations for improved cosmetic appearance and/or dental function. Orthodontic repositioning can be accomplished, for example, by applying controlled forces to one or more teeth or a jaw of a patient over a period of time.
As an example, orthodontic repositioning may be provided through a dental process that uses positioning appliances for realigning teeth. Such appliances may utilize a shell of material having resilient properties, referred to as an “aligner,” that generally conforms to a patient's teeth but is slightly out of alignment with a current tooth configuration.
Placement of such an appliance over the teeth may provide controlled forces in specific locations to gradually move the teeth into a new configuration. Repetition of this process with successive appliances in progressive configurations can move the teeth through a series of intermediate arrangements to a final desired arrangement (e.g., a corrected jaw position).
Such systems typically utilize a set of appliances that can be used serially such that, as the teeth move, a new appliance from the set can be implemented to further move the teeth without having to take a new impression of the patient's teeth at every increment of tooth movement in order to make each successive appliance.
In various instances, teeth of a patient's upper jaw and teeth of the patient's lower jaw may contact in an incorrect or suboptimal manner (e.g., crowding, crossbite, deep bite). A proper fit of the occlusal surfaces of the teeth is necessary for proper biting and chewing, as well as desirable for aesthetic appearance. Otherwise, premature wear of the teeth, undesirable forces on the teeth, and/or undesirable forces on dental restorations may be experienced by the patient.
Appliances have been previously proposed to handle these issues but the design of the appliances to handle some issues cannot be created with the manufacturing processes being utilized presently or their manufacture is too complicated to be feasible using current manufacturing techniques.
With respect to jaw repositioning, previously proposed devices typically have not allowed for teeth to be repositioned while the jaw adjustment is ongoing. Further, such appliances are typically not comfortable or aesthetically pleasing.